


Highlight

by White_sparrow (Sylvalum)



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Feelings, Multi, Talking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-14
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 10:08:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13972776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvalum/pseuds/White_sparrow
Summary: “I’d never leave you,” he says, words spilling out.“Anakin-““I know, but-“





	Highlight

”I’ve been in Separatist custody for a month. Humour me?”

The ‘ _that’s not an excuse’_ , and ‘ _you shouldn’t use that as an excuse’-_ reprimands immediately crowd up inside his head, but he, as he usually does, tries his best to ignore them. Obi-Wan, holding an arm around Anakin’s back, courtesy of Anakin’s leg going _fuck this_ for a moment, raises one imperious eyebrow at him.

…But he doesn’t snatch back the hand that Anakin is currently holding.

“How does your leg feel?” He asks neutrally, wholly ignoring their previous conversation.

“Fine,” Anakin answers, because he’s had so many painkillers that he can’t feel his foot apart from a few occasional pangs. His head feels a bit woozy, but mostly he just feels Totally Fine.

“Perhaps you should refrain from walking around,” Obi-Wan suggests. “Putting so much pressure on your leg can’t be good.”

“Maybe not,” Anakin says offhandedly, still leaning on Obi-Wan. He should try putting weight on his own leg again, see if he can limp away somewhere – but still he doesn’t move. The moment feels too rare to pass up on; they never just casually touch each other. Padmé is the only one who ever just… holds his hand. Leans into him. _Affection_. Though then again, his relationship with Padmé is completely different from his and Obi-Wan’s…

It is. It has to be. It’s staying that way.

“Do you need help in getting to your room?” Obi-Wan asks, sounding half-amused.

Anakin has a feeling like maybe he’s supposed to be more affronted than he actually is at the suggestion. “That would be nice,” he says instead. There, an acceptable reply.

Obi-Wan gives him a peculiar look. “Are you really feeling alright?” he words carefully.

“’Course I am. These painkillers are really great.”

“Is that so? …How many did you have?”

 “A few.” The complete and utter lack of suspicion on Obi-Wan’s face is kind of telling, and Anakin says defensively, “I didn’t take any more than they allowed me to.”

“I hope not.” Obi-Wan sighs. “We better move along.” He takes his hand back from Anakin’s grasp. And then he starts walking, supporting Anakin with one arm. Anakin just limps along, at first annoyed at the lack of response from his leg, and then just annoyed at the limping altogether. He tries putting more weight on his injured foot, but it doesn’t hold and he stumbles again. Obi-Wan doesn’t let him fall, but it’s – it’s frustrating.

“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan says.

“What?”

“I should’ve pressed the Council to let me rescue you earlier.”

Anakin looks at him sharply – and then he just waits, wanting to hear the rest.

Obi-Wan makes a very slight grimace. “I should’ve rescued you earlier. The council’s decision – well. We were needed elsewhere…”

Anakin feels compelled to say something. “It wasn’t your fault. If the Council’s decided on something-“ he feels his expression darken, and pushes it back. “I should’ve paid more attention – it’s my fault I was captured in the first place.” If only he had been quicker, if he had anticipated that shot-

“There wasn’t any way for you to expect that attack, Anakin,” Obi-Wan says. Anakin becomes aware that they’ve stopped again, but the fact slips away before he can consider it.

“I should’ve sensed-“

“You were preoccupied.”

Anakin – presses his lip to a thin line, and doesn’t answer. If only he had – _if_. If he was more powerful, if he knew more, if he only knew how to… He wants more power, more finesse, more- Just, more. Time, maybe. For the war to finally end. He wants to sit on a terrace, on Naboo in the gentle breeze, hold Padmé and press kisses to her hairline and just- He wants to add Obi-Wan into that picture. It must be at least a little the fault of the pain medication that he next asks, “When the war’s over, could we – go on a vacation?”

Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow. “Vacation?”

“We could go to Naboo. Padmé – I mean, _Senator_ Amidala, would probably be delighted to have us.”

His next expression is somewhere in between puzzled and amused, and he even smiles a bit. “She would?”

“Of course.” Padmé would like that _very_ much- “We could go swimming.”

Obi-Wan gives him a, dare Anakin say it, _fond_ look. “That sounds lovely. If the war ends-“

“- _when_ the war ends.”

“Well,” Obi-Wan says, but the humour’s gone. “That could take a few years. But when the war ends – I assume we would be allowed a leave, yes.”

Is it melancholy seeping into the corridors? Anakin doesn’t want to feel it.

“Earlier,” he begins delicately. “I didn’t thank you for your ‘rescue action’...” Obi-Wan just waits patiently, and so Anakin continues, a bit grudgingly, “I… knew you’d come for me. And – thank you.”

“You knew?” Obi-Wan quirks an eyebrow again.

“Why wouldn’t you have? I would’ve done the same.”

“I know you would,” Obi-Wan says, sounding almost alarmed at the thought. How charming. Anakin allows himself to smile. They’re alone in the corridor, anyway, and-

“I’d never leave you,” he says, words spilling out.

“Anakin-“

“I know, but-“

“You need to rest, don’t you?” Obi-Wan says, effectively ending the conversation. Or so he thinks.

“Come with me,” _Wrong word choice, wrong word-_ “You look exhausted.”

He does… look kind of tired. His beard somehow makes it less obvious. While Anakin stares at him, Obi-Wan gives him a long, hard look, and lastly he says, “Fine. It’ll take five hours to reach our destination, so I guess I… could rest for a bit.”

“Good,” Anakin says, and Obi-Wan gives him another look. Anakin gives him a pointed look back, and Obi-Wan looks away. He’s smiling. Something on Anakin’s inside breaks and mends at that – at the expression, the month he was in… ‘less than pleasant circumstances.’ He’s back with Obi-Wan now. And he’s kind of aware that he’s basically running over the Jedi Code with a speeder (and then reversing just to do it again) for _feeling_ -

He holds on to that emotion, anyway. No one even has to know.

-but Obi-Wan gives him such a stunned look, that Anakin thinks he _must’ve_ picked up on it. He fumbles mentally for that speech he had prepared-

“I know,” Obi-Wan says, cutting him off before he could think to begin. “ _I know_.”

Maybe he shouldn’t push it but when has he ever been sensible, anyway? There’s longing in his voice even as he tries to filter it out when he asks, “When the war’s over?”

“When the war is over."

**Author's Note:**

> At the end Obi's like "dammit i've also caught The Feelings" to which Ani says "so let's make out when the war's over?" and Obi says "it's a deal"  
> Also pretty please comment? I've never written for SW before, haha...


End file.
